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Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Book Review - The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen

The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen is the second book I have which is Aryurvedic in focus, though the other (reviewed here) is not vegan. I tried hard not to make comparisons between the two as I read through the introductory sections, though found that difficult. I will try here not to draw comparisons but to speak to this book on its own.

The book starts with 5 chapters of introduction, outlining Ayurveda as a system, terms and theories used, and an introduction to the doshas. The language used is everyday language, and not confusing for the average person. While the explanations are very expansive, well presented and full of information, I didn't come away with a clear sense of where I would fit as far as a dosha goes, so didn't take this into account when choosing the recipes to make.

The recipe chapters are logically grouped, and all offer a range of dishes. There are five colour photo inserts showing a variety of dishes from the surrounding recipe chapters, nice for those who like pictures. The recipes themselves are generally nicely introduced, are well laid out, easy to read and follow, and all come with information on preparation times, yield, and the impact on each of the doshas.

The recipes I made -
Page 51 - Quinoa Pancakes
Simplicity at its tastiest. Seriously easy. I made the Orange-Poppy Seed Variation and would suggest adding a little zest to them as well as the orange flavour got lost a little. Not as light as regular pancakes, but certainly a good start to the day.

Page 52 - Coconut-Mango Smoothie
I had all the ingredients except the mango in my blender, opened it up to find it rotten in the core, so I used frozen blueberries instead. Tasty and filling but not mango!

Page 55 - Morning Cupcakes
Probably my least enjoyed recipe. I think trying to make this into a sweet zucchini and carrot muffin, and loosing all the more savoury elements (caraway seeds and herbs) would have made it more enjoyable for me. Heavy and hearty which was fine, I just didn't enjoy the flavour combination.

Page 61 - Faux French Dressing
I added the optional avocado, which I think made it a little un-french like for me. It was a tasty dressing, I just don't feel the name suited once I had added the avo.

Page 66 - Fresh Red Onion Colelaw
Tasty. Quick and easy to throw together, though take care not to add too much raw onion (as I did) or else it will start to overpower the slaw.

Page 107 - Mom's Mac and Cheese
Made with GF pasta, of course. Nice variation, though it got very thick in the oven.

Page 132 - Broccoli with Miso Sauce
The sauce was lovely. Not just for broccoli I don't think - even would work as a salad dressing. Thinned a little once tossed with the broccoli.

Page 151 - Indian Chocolate Shake
I overdid the chili powder a little so mine was spicy! Lovely and chocolate-y, thick and filling. Easy to make, and enjoy.

I think this book would be awesome for someone who follows Ayurveda, either as an individual having a good grasp on things, or along side a practitioner. It would make an awesome resource book once you know your dosha and are wanting to achieve specific results through diet.

Nut Topped Hazelnut and Almond Bundt Cake

Does anyone read this?

Gingerbread.

Look at all the ginger in there!

Any recipes posted here are of my own devising unless otherwise stated. I will always provide credit for recipes, and inspiration, where applicable and links where possible. I would appreciate the same courtesy.